Ask Larry

Are There Still Changes We Could Make To Our SS At Our Age?

My husband and I are beyond the age of 70 and taking our own SS benefits. At our age, are there still changes that could be made if better options are found?

Hi,

Probably not. Social Security claims are limited to no more than 6 months of retroactivity, so if you did at one time have better options it would likely be too late to change course.

About the only way that either you or your husband could be eligible for additional benefits is if one of you would qualify for spousal benefits and hasn't yet claimed those benefits. You could only qualify for spousal benefits, though, if one of your primary insurance amounts (PIA) is more than twice as much as the other spouse's PIA. A person's PIA is the rate of their Social Security retirement benefit if they start drawing at full retirement age (FRA).

Best, Jerry

Category: 
Posted: 
Aug 5 2019 - 9:38am
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